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You call Tony a neo-Solomon. What does Tony represent as a person?

You know, Solomon is incredibly honest in his journey, especially in the book of Ecclesiastes where he says, "I went out to find meaning and purpose apart from God. And I wanted to find something that would sustain me that had nothing to do with God." And so he does. And yet it's empty.

What's likable about Tony?

He's the ultimate anti-hero. He does really sick and mean things and yet he loves his wife, he loves his family, he loves the people that he works with in this criminal family.

These Mafia members on the show are very macho, but they do show love don't they?

Christian men send me strange e-mails that say, "I want to be a part of a Christian mafia." What they are really saying is, "I want to be in a place where strong men are honest about the fact that they love each other." And so what you see, and the reason you love these men is they have a lot of fun. They sit around, they eat together, they spend a lot of time hanging out together. And when they see each other they're thrilled to see each other. They hug and kiss each other and they're loyal to the end.

But in the midst of all of this wonderful closeness, there's this whole theme of isolation in The Sopranos.

Tony seems to have it all, a family that loves him, a criminal family that loves him and respects him, and yet he's constantly living in fear that somehow they will abandon him or leave him. He's longing to find some kind of unconditional love. He wants to find someone that will love him and really know how messed up he is.

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Visit DickStaub.com for audio and video of his radio program (4-7 p.m. PST), media reviews, and news on "where belief meets real life." The full text of this interview will be for sale on the website soon.

At Marshill.fm, you can listen to Seay discuss his book.

Earlier Dick Staub Interviews include:

John Sloan | The author of The Barnabas Way says Christians need to kiss more frogs and reconsider their prayers for blessings. (Sept. 17, 2002)

Nancy Guthrie | Two years after sharing her story of Hope with Christianity Today, the modern Job tells of losing another child to Zellweger Syndrome (Sept. 10, 2002)

Stephen L. Carter | The Yale University law professor and author of The Emperor of Ocean Park talks about the lack of religious characters in modern fiction (Sep. 3, 2002)

Francine Rivers | The fiction writer says she starts each book with a question that she doesn't know the answer to. God provides the ending. (Aug. 27, 2002)

Ben Heppner | The acclaimed dramatic tenor speaks about getting into opera, his faith, and P.O.D. (Aug. 20, 2002)

Morton Kondracke | The political commentator talks about how being saved from alcoholism, and trying to save his wife from the ravages of Parkinson's. (Aug. 13, 2002)

Mike Yaconelli | The author of Messy Spirituality discusses God's "annoying love." (Aug. 6, 2002)

David Brooks | The Weekly Standard senior editor talks about the spiritual life of Bobos. (July 30, 2002)

Calvin Miller | The author of Jesus Loves Me: Celebrating the Profound Truths of a Simple Hymn talks about childlike faith (July 23, 2002)

Kathleen Norris | The author of The Virgin of Bennington talks about being found by God in the midst of sex, drugs, and poetry. (July 16, 2002)

Thomas Moore | "To really live a secular life and enjoy it is part of being a religious person," says the author of Care of the Soul and The Soul's Religion (July 9, 2002)

Os Guinness | Whether we're seeking or have already been found, we're all on a journey. (July 2, 2002)

Oliver Sacks | The physician author of Awakenings talks about his Orthodox Jewish upbringing, order in the universe, and testing God. (June 25, 2002)

David Myers | People say they know money can't buy happiness, says the Hope College psychology professor. But they don't truly believe it. (June 18, 2002)

Richard Lewis | The comedian, actor, and author talks about his humor, addiction, and spiritual journey. (June 11, 2002)

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September (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46